Braeside Nursery is a privately owned Neighbourhood nursery. It is situated in a quiet residential area close to Goodrington beach and Paignton harbour which makes it an ideal location for babies and young children to learn and explore during visits. Here we offer a warm, friendly environment with loving, dedicated staff for children from 2 weeks to 5 years old.
We operate 4 units each catering to the needs of differing age groups of children. Each room is full of exciting learning, activities and play experiences specially chosen for the child’s age and stage of development. Meals are cooked and provided for on site by the chef.
We offer free settling in sessions for your child and work alongside you to help support your child in the best way to settle confidently into the nursery.
Ofsted Registered: Good.
Qualification and Training: Safeguarding, Makaton and Thrive.
What special education provision is available at our setting?
Two designated Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Coordinators
Two Makaton trained staff
A Portage trained staff member
Knowledge and training on treating stammers
Speech, Language and Communication Needs training and experience
All staff have received internal training from a Licenced Thrive Practitioner and use these strategies within daily practice
Experience in outside referrals for Speech and Language, Educational Psychology and Advisory Teaching Service requests.
Experience with children with various needs; Communication, Autism, Cerebral- Palsy, visual and hearing impairments, ADHD, behaviour and emotional needs
We have experienced staff being one to one support for children
We have had experience of providing home visits.
We have had special equipment used previously within the setting and can obtain this.
We have outside relationships with specialist professionals and charities, such as Visual Impairments and Child Development centre.
Our staff and each unit have experience in using widget visual aids to support those with speech, language and communication needs, and to support early communication skills.
Some staff are very experienced in using the Picture Exchange Communication
What criteria must be satisfied before children and young people can access this provision/service?
We aim to provide a service to everyone regardless of individual needs where reasonable adjustments can be made.
We provide care for babies and children aged 3 weeks to 5 years, and are open to those who wish to access our provision.
We are a mainstream setting who aims to make appropriate adjustments to both our practice and our setting building in order to support the needs of all our setting users. When the child’s needs are established, we ensure our staff have a sound knowledge, and up-to-date understanding of the child’s need in order to provide a full inclusive environment and practise.
We will discuss with the parents their child’s needs, and how we will ensure that these are met and any other professionals we will need to liaise with.
We follow the guidance as laid out in the Equalities Act 2010.
Each parent is required to complete our Admissions Form, prior to starting with us; this is available online at www.braesideneighbourhoodnursery.co.uk or collection from the nursery itself. There is also an online Parent Information Pack and Handbook available, with photos and in-depth details about our setting which you may wish to browse through prior to making your final decision on child care.
At present we do have a waiting list within two of our units, though we recommend telephoning us or contacting us via email as this can change on a weekly basis.
We ask all parents to attend at least two settling in sessions, these are usually an hour long and are free of charge. The parents/carers are to be present at the first settling in session to discuss your child’s routine, needs, dietary and health requirements, and it is also a time for the parents/carers to ask us questions about our provision.
How do we identify the particular special educational needs of a child or young person?
We have two trained Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinators which have a lot of experience in leading staff to make careful and detailed observations on all of our children; therefore we can highlight a need as soon as possible. We believe in the importance of early intervention and the role this plays in the future of all of our children.
We follow the guidance set out in the SEND Code of Practice 2001-which is currently being revised and the new code of practice will be out 2014.
We will gather information from the parents during their initial visit, we will ask if they have attended other settings previously and any past and present professionals involved. We will gather Transition Documents and Medical Reports which are relevant to the child’s care.
We will arrange and meet regularly with parents to plan targets to help bridge the gap between your child’s learning whether it is a communication need, emotional, physical and behavioural.
Through these targets we can track your child’s progress and then make a decision about whether a referral is needed.
We regularly liaise with other professionals to support our own practice. We are able to hold in house meetings for other professionals and parents to carry out their advice; we also have Speech and Language therapist that carry out speech programmes with children and staff.
Once your child has settled in and begins to build relationships with the staff they will be assigned a key person. This key person will responsible for all the documentation surrounding your child’s development. Your child will be given a My Learning and Development which is used to assess the child’s learning according to the EYFS development and learning aspects.
Your child will be observed for 6 weeks and then an initial blue assessment will be undertaken as a baseline to record your child’s initial stage of development. Your child’s progress will be continually documented through observations, photos, notes and wow observations in their Learning Diary and an assessment will be made in their My Learning and Development twice a term to record the developments in the learning and any aspects that may need to be focused on. However if the key person feels that the goals in the My Learning and Development are too large a step, we can use the Early Support Developmental Journals which breaks the curriculum down into bite-sized achievable goals.
We also undertake a 2 year developmental summary which runs parallel to your child’s 2 year developmental check with their Health Visitor. This document will be undertaken by the child’s key person, using the child’s My Learning and Development as evidence to support this. This will be shared with you and the Health Visitor and a copy will be placed in your child’s Learning Diary.
How do we consult with parents and/or children and young people about their needs?
Once making a decision to join us at Braeside Neighbourhood Nursery we would arrange an appointment for you to come and look around the setting and see the day to day running of the environment.
If you would like to go forward and join us, we will then set up some settling in sessions, we usually advise a minimum of 2 sessions, however this can differ therefore we aim to be flexible at this time in order to support both the child and their family to settle in as best as possible.
As we operate 4 units that are flexibly grouped by age, these are as follows; Starfish unit 3weeks- 16 months, Jellyfish unit 16 months- 24 months, Dolphins 1 unit 24 months- 36 months and Dolphins 2 unit 36 months+. These units depend on age stage and mobility needs, and the children transition through these accordingly. When it comes to the time for your child on to move on to the next unit special transition times will be arranged for the child to meet the staff, the children and familiarise themselves with the environment. The parents will be informed by a ‘transition letter’ previous to these arrangements. The child’s previous key person from the unit will complete an Internal Transition Document that will be shared with the new key person to aid a smooth transition of learning and care.
When parents and families first meet us, this is an ideal opportunity for us to discuss each individual child’s needs, and any support already in place or future plans and concerns.
Our SEND Co-ordinators and staff are available to the parents to chat informally at any time throughout the nursery day.
Formal meetings can be held within the setting with the parents we will also have informal conversations before and after the child’s session.
Our SEND Co-ordinators can also sign-post parents to other support
Communication diaries can be kept for a longer period of time for those with communication difficulties and English as an Additional Language (EAL).
Visual posters and leaflets are available in the main entrance to the setting
We celebrate and adopt an inclusive approach to ensure that the children and their peers are learning at their own pace and are having the same opportunities.
We provide parents evening to share information on the children’s progress as well as a Care Plan Book (daily diary).
We use the Early Learning Developmental Journal alongside the Learning Diary and the My Learning and Development booklet to support a child with SEND to ensure that they able to achieve goals tailored to their individual area of need. This document enables the parents to see their child’s progression.
We undertake termly Parental Questionnaires in order to gather parent’s comments about their child at nursery, the running of the nursery and any other comments.
When the child’s Learning Diary goes home we input a sheet where the child and their parents can add their comments about their learning.
For our children with SEND, we write ILDPs to support their learning. The parents/carers are invited to attend the reviews which usually happen on a 6 week basis to ensure the targets are relevant and are purposeful. This is valuable to our practice, the parents/carers home life and their child’s development. It is a time to share ideas and stories, raise concerns and for support.
What is our approach to teaching children and young people with special educational needs?
All our policies underpin our practice and all include Inclusion, we have particular policies essential to Equal Opportunities; Valuing Diversity and Promoting Equality and Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs.
Our practice is inclusive to all, yet tailored to the child individual child’s needs. The progress is observed and reviewed to ensure the best experience and opportunities are available to the children.
We have implemented strategies such as visual time tables, Makaton, visual aids and special bag time, in order to provide manageable steps within our teaching.
Our approach to teaching children with SEND by setting Individual Learning and Development Plans (ILDPs) include targets based upon their current needs which are incorporated into play and learning experiences. These are reviewed on a 6 weekly basis, and it is a chance for all that work with the child to come together and celebrate their achievements, review what is working, what isn’t and anything that might have changed since we last met. These will involve targets for home and at the setting.
How can we adapt our curriculum for children and young people with special educational needs?
We use the Early Learning Developmental Journal alongside the Learning Diary and the My Learning and Development booklet to support a child with SEND to ensure that they able to achieve goals tailored to their individual area of need. This document enables the parents to see their child’s progression.
We make adaptations to the My Learning Development Journals and EYFS Development Matters statements. This is to show that the child is making steps towards their goals running parallel to their peers learning.
Using the advice of outside professionals and utilising their skills, knowledge and advice we incorporate this into their learning.
How will we ensure we get the services, provision and equipment that children and young people need?
We have built good professional relationships with various professions around Torbay.
We have regular SEND training allowing contact with an Advisory Teacher, Speech and Language consultant and Thrive lead who can sign post our SEND coordinators to additional support if needed.
Our staff have built relationships with surrounding schools and other professionals such as Occupational therapist, Physiotherapists and paediatricians, who are able to signpost us to specific resources that we may need to support our children. They are able to visit us within the setting to advise us on any issues. There may be occasions when this isn’t possible and we will endeavour to meet the child’s need if we can.
We are experienced in requesting for funding for additional equipment and support.
We are entered into online networks for EAL and SEND to ensure that we have up to date records and information that we can share with the children and their families.
We promote multi-disciplinary working through various contact methods, such as meetings, email, telephone calls and conversations.
How is this provision funded?
We are an Ofsted registered nursery and we receive 2, 3 and 4 year old funding. We sign post the parents when they become eligable. We are able to offer the 15 hours free funding which is paid by our Local Authority.
We created a ‘2 year old pack’ which will help indicate whether you are eligible for this funding.
We have requested for additional funding for those who need extra support for them to create an inclusive environment.
If we feel your child will benefit from 1:1 support, either through discussions upon the initial meeting or through your child’s needs becoming more complex, then we will arrange a meeting with you to discuss these needs and apply to the Local Authority for additional funding.
What additional learning support is available for children and young people with special educational needs and how do they access it?
If we feel that after the strategies we have put into place for the child requires more support then we would refer them to the relevant professionals. We have strong links with;
Speech and Language therapist, which visit our setting on a weekly basis to deliver programmes for individual children, liaise with the key person and SEND co- ordinators to enable them to continue the programme throughout the week.
Some children come to us with a portage worker and we are able to liaise with them about past, current and future plans and information.
We have strengthened links between Health Visitors through the 2 year Developmental Summary.
Social workers.
We are meeting with a team member from Action for Children to further this connection and to support our local community.
We have added our setting’s name to relevant mailing lists, including EAL, etc.
Our staff will signpost parents to the relevant professionals.
How do we support and improve the emotional and social development of children and young people with special educational needs?
We are sensitive to children’s social and emotional needs and pride ourselves in recognising that these areas are a fundamental building block in order for children to reach their full potential.
All staff within the setting have received internal Thrive training from a Licenced Thrive Practitioner and use these strategies in our daily practice.
Some staff members have received positive behaviour management training. We will work toward relieving issues with behaviour depending on the child’s age and stage of development. We use reward charts, STAR (Setting. Trigger, Action and Response) charts to help identify where the behaviour is arising from.
Any training staff undertake is cascaded through the team to ensure we are all working towards the same goals.
We celebrate individuals and their uniqueness. We incorporate this through next steps and Wow statements.
We support each child’s social and emotional development by a variety of strategies; we give them a voice, either through using speech, Makaton, picture prompt cards or other visual aids.
We listen and respond to parents/carers values and wishes.
We use a variety of resources to support feelings and relationships, through literature, activities such as turn taking and role play.
We will seek outside help if we feel the need.
We will base ILDP targets around these areas to allow us to closely monitor this.
How do we support children and young people with special educational needs moving between phases of education and preparing for adulthood?
We have a variety of transitions which occur within our nursery;
Starting with us: We will meet with the child/ren and family initially and discuss their past/current needs. We will gather information in order to plan a successful transition into our setting. We recommend at least 2 settling in sessions, which are free of charge and the parents/carers are asked to stay for the first hour. We will then make a plan of action for how the child has progressed and how many more sessions are required.
Moving to another unit: The child will be monitored to see if they are nearing the developmental stage for the next unit. The parents/carers will receive a letter informing them of this so they are able to discuss this with their child. They will then meet with the new supervisor and staff and to familiarise themselves with the new unit and routine. The child will take part in transition sessions with a member of that group or staff, depending on confidence. This will increase when they are ready. The child’s previous key person will put together an internal transition documents giving a few details about the child.
Starting another setting: We will prepare a Transition Document for the child’s new setting along with their Learning Diary.
Starting school: When the times comes for your child to leave us for school we will prepare Transition Documents for all children as well as their Learning Diaries so their new school can see where they are now and past strategies we have use to develop their learning.
The SEND co-ordinators will liaise with the relevant professionals if we feel the child will need further support into school. We have experience in making request for Statutory Assessments and will be able to continue applying for support by using Education, Health and Care plans from September 2014.
We familiarise the children leaving for school through a variety of resources and activities, such as having a school role play area, a photo display board for the children and their families to see who they will be going to school with, what it looks like, uniform, logo, etc. This enables them to visually see that they are all going through this transitional phase together.
For all of the school leavers we hold a Leaver’s Ball in the last few days of term. This has proven highly successful and allows a final goodbye to everyone. We can take this time to celebrate the achievements we have all worked so hard to get.
We have been fortunate enough to support our children with SENDs through to school by facilitating visits, to allow the child and the new staff to ask questions and get to know the child and a comfortable pace. This allows a consistent approach and eases the child into this new situation and surroundings.
We have been able to arrange transition meetings with all those involved prior to the child starting the school, so we all have a clear picture about our roles and next steps to facilitate a smooth transition.
We encourage the new setting’s SEND co-ordinator, key person, 1:1 support and teacher to meet the child and us so they can see them in their comfortable surroundings.
We also realise that parents need support at this time. We listen to their concerns and voice these through the transition documents, assessments summaries and our sections of the documents needed for extra support in school. We recognise that most parents feel at ease with us that they can share these concerns, and that we are the first port of call. We can then advise them and liaise with the schools to ease these worries.
What other support is available for children and young people with special educational needs and how can they access it?
We will endeavour to signpost our parents/ carers to the support which is available such as;
Providing leaflets, we have some in-house created leaflets on various topics.
Promoting our community leaflets, Action for Children, etc.
We promote a variety of events and services by being part of the local mailing list for a variety of support, such as, Chatter Tots, Early Birds and 2 year old funding.
We refer parents to the Torbay Directory on further support.
What extra-curricular activities are available for children and young people with special educational needs?
We will seek out relevant groups and any support we deem as beneficial to the child and family.
How do we assess and review progress towards agreed outcomes, and how are parents, children and young people involved in this process?
We share regularly share information with our parents prior to each session and when the session ends.
We prepare and send home the Learning Diaries each half term.
We hold termly parents evenings for all of our units.
We hold 6 weekly ILDPs for our children that need additional support. These will include the child’s key person, one or both of our SEND co-ordinators and the parents/carers; we will ask other professionals involved, Advisory Teachers, speech therapists, etc.
We include parents by working towards their goals for home as well as sharing practice with them about where we are now, and the future.
How do we assess the effectiveness of our special needs provision and how are parents, children and young people involved in this assessment?
We evaluate our provision by termly parent/carers questionnaires, and gather the feedback then set a plan of action for us to work towards.
All of our staff take part in our Self Evaluation Form for Ofsted, this way it gives all staff a voice and allows us to reflect on our own practice and the nursery as a whole. It enables us to discuss what we are doing now for all of our children and what is working and what needs improving.
Our staff attend training and forums to ensure our own knowledge is up-to-date and this is a chance for us to share ideas with other settings from around the Bay.
We will seek out information from a variety of resources so we can provide accurate care.
We share practice with other settings and arrange visits to local schools/specialist units.
How do we ensure that teaching staff and other staff have the expertise needed to support children and young people with special educational needs?
We have specific staff for specific roles here at Braeside.
Safeguarding Officer who has up-to-date knowledge on support vulnerable children.
Two SEND co-ordinators who have trained in Makaton, supporting stammers, early communication skills, Portage, and experience with ADHD, Autism, speech, language and communication needs.
We ensure the people in these important roles attend training regularly and the forums.
We seek advice from Early Years, Advisory teachers and other professionals whenever needed.
We support the team by feeding back to the staff after training as well as holding in- house training sessions.
We ensure the key people working with their specific group receive the relevant training and skills needed to carry out the role, including health requirements to support the child.
How do we keep parents informed where children and young people have special educational provision but do not have an Education Health and Care Plan?
We verbally share information with our parents prior to each session and when the session ends.
We prepare and send home the Learning Diaries each half term.
We hold termly parents evenings for all of our units.
We will use ILDPs for children who needed a little extra support within the session, Early Years Action. We hold 6 weekly ILDPs for our children that need additional support which will involve an outside professional, Early Years Action Plus. These will include the child’s key person, one or both of our SEND co-ordinators and the parents/carers; we will ask other professionals involved, Advisory Teachers, speech therapists, etc.
We include parents by working towards their goals for home as well as sharing practice with them about where we are now, and the future. Our parents receive their own copy of all of the documents surrounding their child’s learning.
How can parents, children and young people make a complaint about our provision?
In the event of a parent/carer being unsatisfied with our service then we would ask them to come and see us so we can resolve the issue.
We would gather information from the unit/members of staff which may be involved in the matter.
We would support the parents/carers in how to make a complaint, formal or otherwise and if they require Ofsted’s details.
Parent/carers questionnaires are used to gather all issues or concerns with any part of our service.
How can parents, children and young people get more information about the setting?
Braeside @ Sunflower Day Nursery – Sunflower Day Nursery where there is detailed information and photos of our setting. There is also a PDF file under the section ‘our units’ where the prospective families can download our Parent Information Pack and Handbook.
Our Environmental Health Award is available to see on this website.
Our Ofsted report is available to download form this website.
We welcome everybody to come and see our nursery and meet the staff.
